Witness report: EICMA 2012

We were there at the stunning motorcycle show in Milan. Here’s some of the highlights.

We were there at the stunning motorcycle show in Milan. Here’s some of the highlights.

Three’s company

When a behemoth like Honda launches a middle-of-the-road 500 cc motorcycle you know there’s got to be something more to it. And there is. Three times as much actually with the CBR500, the CB500F and the CBX500. Now while these three machines might look completely different from each other, they use the same parallel-twin motor, chassis and running gear. As you can see the CBR is the full-faired version, the CB is naked while the CBX is an on-off road bike. What the big red hopes to achieve with these motorcycles is to ease new (European) riders from their 125 cc learner machines on to these 47 hp twin pots so that one day they will be ready for the big boys, ergo the Fireblade. So will these make it to our shores? Logic and gut says “yes”.

Mix-n-match

What do you get when a Ducati Hypermotard meets a Ducati Multistrada? A Hyperstrada. Well we are not joking because the Italian’s latest creation is a bit of both. So it’s a tourer? Er…yes. And it’s a supermotard? Er…yes. And how exactly is this going to work? Er…well we don’t really know. What we do know though, is that it’s got a new Testastretta 11? 821 cc engine that’s good for a 110 hp. Which means it should be an absolute peach to take to the track. The Hyperstrada also comes with semi-hard panniers, a smallish windscreen, higher bars than the Hypermotard as standard, and ABS with 8-way traction control as optional. All of this makes it great for touring. Right then, no confusion here, what so ever.

Cool school

Fewer things in life go as well together as Italian women and Vespas. But with the Vespa 946, we think the Vespa will be the one that’s probably going to attract more eyeballs. Named because it’s inspired from a prototype from 1946, this new scooter is actually quite a step-ahead for the Italian firm. For one it uses aluminium alloy instead of age-old steel for it’s body; and two, it uses a horizontally mounted rear-shock absorber. There is also a fuel-injected 125 cc motor in that sleek body somewhere but we still can’t get over the sexy hanging cantilever seat, ultra sleek lines, the lovely handlebar, the beautiful mirrors, and so much more.

Arch Rivale

Wondering what was the prettiest bike at the show? Well it was this, the MV Agusta Rivale 800. And it’s not us who’s saying it, but the 35.5 per cent of the people from the 15,000 strong pole at EICMA. Well, it’s the legendary marques first supermoto and it sure has gotten off to a great start. Powered by an 800 cc in-line triple that’s rated at 125 hp, we expect it’s road test to have words like stonking, mesmerising and unbelievable. Hopefully we’ll get to use them too.

Duke Bomb

If you like them fast, brutal and naked, we suggest you close all the other windows open in your taskbar and pay close attention, for it doesn’t get much hair-chested then this. The KTM 1290 Super Duke R has a motor that’s even more bonkers than the one in the RC8 (that’s a full-faired track tool mind you), 180 to 200 horsepower, a chrome-molybdenum steel tube frame (super light in other words) a single sided swing arm, lightened alloy wheels and a guttural V-twin exhaust note…boy we are getting a head rush just thinking about it. So what’s the catch? Well it’s still a prototype and production models should be ready by the end of next year. Right then, time to start learning how to tame beasts.